Virtue=Strength is a Catholic program that helps schools and sports teams strengthen their Catholic Identity through intentional virtue lessons and ceremony events. Some sample resources are included further below.
One of the Hackett Catholic Prep players shares what he learned on the team retreat.
One of the great services Virtue=Strength offers is assistance, planning and scripts for team retreats. We recently partnered with Hackett Catholic Prep head men’s basketball coach Ryan Basler to help them get their season off to a great start. Coach Basler shared the following:
The Hackett Men’s Basketball Program is trying to put God first in all that it sets out to accomplish this year and every year. The acronym J.O.Y. is what the basketball program is trying to embody this year. “J’ stands for Jesus. “O” stands for others. “Y” stands for you. Hackett had its first retreat to kick off the season at Pretty Lake Camp in Mattawan, Michigan. Over 25 basketball players and coaches participated in the overnight retreat in which God, relationships, and fun were the focus of the retreat.

When I started to plan this retreat, I consulted Fr. Tom McNally, and Lou Judd from the Virtue=Strength program. Lou suggested the movie “Forever Strong,” which really emphasizes relationships and how to respond to adversity. After the movie, Lou had suggested doing a “public interview.” Around a fire outside at 10 pm, the players and coaches asked each player to stand up and answer questions from their teammates and coaches. The players learned more about each other, especially about each other’s families, what is important to them, and what motivates each player. It was a great experience for all!

We also had all-night Eucharistic adoration of our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament from 12am-7am. Players signed up to spend an hour with Jesus. Every hour had at least one player/coach who prayed with Jesus, with many hours having multiple players being present. What an awesome witness!

Saturday morning started with breakfast and guest speaker, Dr. Dave DenBraber. He focused on being men of gratitude and a team forged in awareness of the other. He also focused on how the boys can positively or negatively influence others by what they do away from the court. Lastly, he focused on John 15:5, when Jesus said “apart from me you can do nothing.”

The retreat continued with practice, lunch, scrimmage, film and the dramatic conclusion of Bishop Edward Lohse presiding Mass for the players and coaches. The Bishop then spent 30-40 minutes after Mass interacting with the players and answering questions the boys had for him. We are so grateful of Bishop Lohse and the time he spent with the players! As you can imagine, it was an impactful and spiritual weekend for all!

Virtue=Strength has many different resources to help you streamline your virtue instruction throughout school and athletics. Imagine having every teacher and coach on the same page with focus, mission and vocabulary.
Three of the sports weekly resources you could expect to receive by partnering with us are the following:
Image suggestion to help parents focus on the positive, the virtue, the faith.

Athlete Reflection sheets. Resilience Sample.
1-page coach lesson sheets that can be easily printed out or pulled up on your phone. Resilience Sample.
Our 5-slide presentation is an extremely easy to use resource. It is a ready-made lesson plan with images, videos, saint quotes, Gospel quotes, definitions of the virtue and vice, examples of how to live the virtue and avoid the vice.
It requires next to no preparation. Here below are some sample slides from the virtue of humility.





But we also have many other resources so you can pick and choose and make this as robust as you like or start off small. Daily saint quotes, daily saint videos, virtue definition image posters for monitors, journal sheets, reflection sheets, virtue awards, virtue building activities, anti-bullying activities and family life building activities and much much more.
If you would like to see this happen at your school, reach out today.